Pediatrics Now: Cases Updates and Discussions for the Busy Pediatric Practitioner

Author: UT Health San Antonio

Cases, updates, and discussions for the busy pediatric practitioner brought to you by UT Health San Antonio Host and author Holly Wayment.
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Language: en

Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine

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Energy Drinks Can Damage a Healthy Heart; Plus When Anxiety Symptoms Are Really Cardiac
Episode 312
Tuesday, 21 July, 2026

Energy Drinks Can Damage a Healthy Heart; Plus When Anxiety Symptoms Are Really Cardiac Link for CME Credit Coming Soon! A recent case involving a teenage cheerleader’s death has prompted a closer look at energy drinks and cardiovascular risks in young people. Host Holly Wayment and pediatric cardiologist Dr. Elaine Maldonado discuss how high-caffeine and stimulant drinks—often marketed to teens and available in school vending machines or coffee bars—can trigger palpitations, chest pain, high blood pressure, and dangerous heart rhythms. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no role for caffeine in children; parents and pediatricians should watch for red flags (persistent rapid heartbeat, unexplained chest pain, fainting during exertion), counsel on sleep, hydration, and exercise, and offer safer alternatives to energy drinks.